Slingshot Dakota — Break
Slingshot Dakota rounds out the lineup of that fateful Shondes concert, certainly one of the best I saw this past year. When the duo took the stage, I had concerns: the drummer had an elaborate kit and the singer was…
SONG PREMIERE: Laura Oden — “Try Not to Cry”
Alaska-based Laura Oden has previewed her upcoming album with “Try Not to Cry.” Oden’s remarkable vocal performance makes this song, an attempt to grapple with a crushing loss, an arresting experience. Oden brushes against the confines of folk music and…
Permanent Wave
I am not sure if there is anything queerer than fighting my [roomate’s] cat* to type an article about an LGBTQ punk band, but here we are. In fact, “here we are” seems to be what 2016 was about. Let’s…
Top 10 of 2016
2016 was a year to make you believe in astrology. I don’t know very many people for him 2016 was an excellent year. As I’ve hinted at throughout the year, I’ve been through my own share of upheaval. Here’s the…
Hanukkah, Elves, a Premier, and Fuck This Year!
I’m going to be taking the week off through New Year’s. I’m planning on using the time to get ahead on entries and to hopefully start updating daily again in 2017. In the meantime, I don’t typically post holiday music…
Adam Lee — Sincerely, Me
When an artist drops you his music and points out that he’s been going to the same shows you’ve been (though in different cities), it’s hard not to give him a chance. Adam Lee gets it — in every way.…
Kate Tempest — Let Them Eat Chaos
When I first heard a track from Let Them Eat Chaos on NPR’s All Songs Considered, I appreciated the wry wordplay and drive behind Tempest’s performance. A little later I heard a second song and thought, “Okay — even though…
Carrie Rodriguez — Lola
If you get a chance to, I strongly encourage that you listen to Carrie Rodriguez’s set on Mountain Stage from a few months ago. It’ll give you a lot more insight into this beautiful, multi-layered album. Shortly after the election,…